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Jeff Grant's viewIT’S not until you look back at a year
and review what you have written about the performances of 2016, that
you realise just how varied and exiting Midlands’s theatre remains both
on the professional and amateur stages. With such a high standard I could mention more
than space allows here but instead have concentrated on productions that
have remained in my memory. On the amateur stage The Nonentities continue to
be a major force in the region. I am rarely disappointed at the quality
of their performances and often question the word amateur when I am
sitting in The Rose theatre whilst witnessing one of their productions. It’s not surprising
then that the best drama
for me was Breaking the Code
in February when I personally claimed it to be ` possibly the best on
any Midlands stage this week.’ Hugh Whitmore’s play on the events of
Alan Turing’s troubled life and the code breaking of the Enigma machine
is a complex story for any group of amateur actors to take on. The difficult often intimate themes were handled
with skill and respect with actor Richard Taylor excelling in his role
as Turing. His lead seemed to influence the entire
When it comes to
musicals one
of the key elements of any production for me is simply how well the
sound is produced. The Rocky Horror
Show at The New Alexandra Theatre in
October was memorable with Liam Tamnes take on the glamorous high heeled
Dr Frank N Furter leading the cast in an excellent show.
However my clear choice
was Let It Be.
Perhaps it’s not a musical in the strictest sense but it definitely is a
musical experience. Even with a power failure interrupting the night no
one was budging from their seats. The key for me was the fantastic sound
management in the stage recreation of the Beatles material. The tour has been on the road since 2012 with an
often changing line up of musicians who play the fab four, so they have
a plenty of time to get it right. For those who grew up with The Beatles
but never saw them play, this show is the closest thing you will get to
the real thing. I would say that technically, at times, it maybe
even better as the tech to sonically bring this off was just not around
when the Beatles were. On the
classical and dance
front the intimacy and emotion of Olga
Pericet and her Company in Sin Título,
which was a part of the International Dance Festival Birmingham at The
Patrick Centre Birmingham Hippodrome, was very special. This stunning
evening of Flamenco was enhanced with virtuoso guitar performances from
Ms Antonia Jimenez and Pino Losada. On
the alternative
front there is no other venue staging the diverse ranges of acts at
Cabaret XXL
at Birmingham Rep. The once a month, hour long shows have grown in
attendance and feature many of the capital’s leading new cabaret acts.
One of the most entertaining of these acts was Figs in Wigs. The five girl team of Rachel Gammon, Suzanna Hurst, Sarah Moore, Rachel Porter and Alice Roots, build a very original show that features their clever take on a whole range of subjects such as the art world and social media. They deliver this in the own unique and original style together with mad outfits and glittery trainers.
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cast
who took on the play with real grit and sensitivity and I look forward
to the companies work in 2017.